Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 68
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
पुमान् संग्रहणे ग्राह्यः केशाकेशिपरस्त्रियाः स्वजातावुत्तमो दण्ड आनुलोम्ये तु मध्यमः
pumān saṃgrahaṇe grāhyaḥ keśākeśiparastriyāḥ svajātāvuttamo daṇḍa ānulomye tu madhyamaḥ
In cases of abduction (or unlawful taking), the man is to be arrested; and in the case of another man’s wife being seized by the hair (i.e., dragged or assaulted), [the offender is punishable]. If the offence concerns a woman of one’s own caste, the highest penalty is prescribed; but in an anuloma union (a sanctioned hypergamous pairing), the penalty is of the middle grade.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha; Rajadharma/Vyavahāra section)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for a ruler/judge to classify sexual/abduction offences by act (abduction, assault) and by varna-context (svajati vs anuloma) to determine arrest and graded penalties.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Saṅgrahaṇa & Keśākeśi—Arrest and graded daṇḍa by jāti/anuloma","lookup_keywords":["saṅgrahaṇa","keśākeśi","parastrī","svajāti","anuloma daṇḍa"],"quick_summary":"Illicit taking/abduction requires immediate apprehension of the man; assaulting another’s wife (dragging by hair) is punishable. Penalty is highest when the woman is of one’s own caste; in anuloma context it is reduced to a middle grade."}
Concept: Rājadharma as social protection: safeguarding women and household order through immediate arrest and proportionate punishment.
Application: Court procedure: treat abduction/assault as public-order crimes; apply daṇḍa gradation based on social/legal category recognized by the text.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra—Criminal law and punishments)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court where officers seize an accused abductor; beside it, a depiction of a woman being violently dragged by the hair, with the king/judge indicating graded punishment tablets marked ‘uttama’ and ‘madhyama’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet vivid colors, a rājā in sabhā with attendants arresting an offender, symbolic hair-seizing scene shown in a side panel, inscriptions of ‘uttama-daṇḍa’ and ‘madhyama-daṇḍa’, traditional ornaments, minimal perspective.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central enthroned king with gold-leaf halo and ornate court, guards holding the accused, a smaller vignette of hair-dragging assault, gold detailing on jewelry and throne, strong reds and greens, stylized legal scrolls.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, refined linework, court-room instructional tableau: judge pointing to a graded penalty chart (uttama/madhyama), officers apprehending the man, subdued but clear narrative panels, delicate shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar scene with patterned carpets, officials recording charges, accused being held, marginal vignette of the offence, naturalistic faces, fine architectural background, calligraphic labels for ‘svajāti’ and ‘anuloma’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: केशाकेशिपरस्त्रियाः = केश + आकेशि + परस्त्रियाः (तत्पुरुष-समास); स्वजातावुत्तमो = स्वजातौ + उत्तमः; दण्ड आनुलोम्ये = दण्डः + आनुलोम्ये; पुमान् = पुमान् (प्रथमा एकवचन)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (Vyavahāra/Daṇḍa sections on strī-saṅgrahaṇa, saṅkara, and graded fines)
FAQs
It gives a Vyavahāra (juridical) rule: in unlawful seizure/abduction and violent handling of another man’s wife, the offender is to be apprehended and punished, with the daṇḍa graded by the social/legal category (svajāti vs. ānulomya).
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves Dharmaśāstra-style governance material—criminal offences, arrestability, and proportional penalties—showing its coverage of statecraft and jurisprudence.
By prescribing daṇḍa for coercion and violation of marital boundaries, the text frames such acts as adharma that generate negative karma, and it upholds social and moral order through lawful restraint and corrective punishment.